The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide

How to drop acid

I first took LSD on my 50th birthday. It was a spiritual event. Before that I looked long and hard for some kind of guide to orient me on what to expect, how to set the atmosphere, and in general how to go about this in a sacramental way. Most of the little specks of advice I found about “dropping acid” dated from the 1960s, and were not very helpful. I need some utilitarian guidelines, a checklist. How much do I take? Alone or with others? Outside, or inside? What happens if it turns nasty?

I wish I had had this book. James Fadiman was one of the original scientists testing LSD when it was still legal in the US and he has gathered a bookful of useful advice from his own research and in the collections of others. Fadiman promotes guided sessions, where a guide accompanies the voyager. (I used that method myself.) This new manual supplies very practical advice on how to attain the goal listed in its subtitle: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys. And it covers other psychedelics besides acid, although less deeply. Another bonus: it is helpful for either the guide or the voyager.

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